Code Vein II Reviews
Code Vein II, while remaining a more or less traditional souls-like game, improves on its predecessor in every way. Its ambitious Elden Ring-style open world and timelines make this journey particularly fun and addictive in its gameplay loop.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
Code Vein II is a missed opportunity: it expands the universe and streamlines the gameplay, but sacrifices challenge on the altar of accessibility. Between a difficulty flattened by overly powerful teammates and various technical uncertainties, it remains a pleasant title but lacking the spark necessary to excel.
Review in Italian | Read full review
If you can remember one thing from this review: Code Vein II has ideas, systems and ambitions, but lacks the necessary polish, coherence and technical finish. Too many small frustrations pile up into a constant annoyance. After experiences with Lies of P, Black Myth: Wukong, Sekiro and other fantastic games in the genre, Code Vein II simply feels less sophisticated. Not because it's harder, but because I always feel like something's wrong. That comparison is inevitable and does not work out favorably here. It just doesn't click, no matter how hard I try.
Review in Dutch | Read full review
My experience with Code Vein II is a mixed bag. The story is both complicated within it’s lore but easy to follow within the events you play through. The gameplay is accessible but has a level of depth that may not appeal to everyone. While I had fun with the combat, it is greatly aided by the companion system and a solid amount of weapons to play around with.
Code Vein II is a genuinely enjoyable game with a lot going for it; the story is amazing, the graphics are for the most part, awesome, and the soundscape just makes everything feel that bit more epic. With a little polish and some patches, I feel like this could be one to add to anyone’s collection. So if you enjoy a good ARPG with an intense story, this might be the one to pick up just now.
The main campaign easily exceeds 40 hours, and can be extended through exploration, side content, and experimenting with different builds.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
Code Vein 2 delivers serviceable soulslike combat and flexible builds, but its bloated systems, uninspired open world, and inconsistent performance keep it from standing out in an already crowded genre. It definitely has ambition, but many of its ideas feel more like background noise than meaningful twists, leaving the sequel competent but ultimately forgettable.
All-in-all, I don’t think Code Vein II is bad. It’s mostly an improvement over some of the stiffness and art direction of the first game, bringing new features, weapons, and jails for players to build their characters around. The music is still great, albeit more orchestral than the grunge of the first game’s collaboration with VAMPS. The biggest problem that this franchise (is it a franchise yet?) struggles with seems to be chasing the Souls-Ring feel but not nailing it as much as I’d have hoped for the second entry.
Code Vein II is a fantastic soulslike on paper, with the strong story and gameplay being where the game shines the most. Unfortunately, the game suffers from a terrible frame rate, very little to do outside of combat, and needless padding. When it was all over I was glad to put the game away, and left to wonder what could've been.
“Code Vein II” has a solid combat foundation, but its lackluster open world, bosses with inconsistent hitboxes and weak story drags it down severely. Much like its predecessor, it had a ton of potential, sadly, unrealized.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
Over the past seven years, I’ve played about 35 soulslike games (in case you’re curious about how saturated the genre is); Code Vein II is not among the worst of them, but it’s one of the most disappointing.
When it comes down to it, Code Vein 2 improves on the original game for a better experience, but the original was lacking to begin with. Fans of Soulslikes will be satisfied with a quality title, though it will be frustrating at times.
While not a perfect sequel – few things ever are – Code Vein II certainly improves upon it’s predecessor in just about every way, throwing not only a fun world and combat to play through, but a story that manages to pluck at your heart strings as you delve further into the world and it’s inhabitants.
Code Vein II takes players to a new world ravaged by corruption that can only be saved through a journey that takes players across two time periods.
Code Vein II is a visually striking and mechanically sound sequel that plays it a bit too safe. While the deep character customization and flexible Blood Code system remain the best in the genre, the game struggles with inconsistent difficulty spikes and a narrative that feels bloated with anime clichés. It’s a solid experience for returning fans and "Wean-Souls" enthusiasts, but it lacks the creative spark needed to elevate it among the giants of the genre. A beautiful, bloody, yet somewhat familiar journey.
Review in Persian | Read full review
The best thing about Code Vein II is it's not "Code Vein too." It builds upon many of its predecessor’s mistakes while simultaneously taking new risks of its own, and although that doesn’t necessarily make it a good game, it certainly makes it an interesting one.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
Code Vein 2 simply doesn't do enough to stand out in the crowded Soulslike genre but its stylish combat and visuals, and a surprising story make it at least worth checking out for fans of the first game.
Code Vein II is the kind of sequel that tries to embrace the whole world and ends up tripping over its own feet. The ambition to create a vast open world with an anime aesthetic is clear, and the system that lets you switch classes at any time remains brilliant for the freedom it gives the player. The problem is that the game quickly loses its shine: exploration becomes tiring with empty environments and repetitive enemies, the story turns into a bureaucratic routine of “going back in time and saving someone,” and the technical performance leaves a lot to be desired.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
Code Vein 2, in short, is an action JRPG with a very distinctive aesthetic and a deep, fun combat system. Ultimately, it's not a game that tries to reinvent the genre; it doesn't aspire to be the new Elden Ring or a Final Fantasy killer. To be honest, and after playing it quite a bit, I don't think the game even aspires to be those things. It's content to be a game that corrects the problems of its predecessor, respects the series' fandom, and, above all, entertains anyone who tries it. And if we judge it by these three factors, the game more than succeeds.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
Code Vein II remains a big piece of the puzzle in a world littered with puzzling Soulslike at the moment. Usually, a second entry into a series like this one does something that would surprise fans (in a good way), but I fail to see that happening for Code Vein II.